Friday, November 22, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

It has been typical that a sequel from an action film
franchise is more a tool to generate revenue from its fans
than a movie to tell a compelling story. But
director Francis
Lawrence effectively changes that perception with his
exhilarating
"The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire" (USA 2013 | 146 min.), the
second installment based on Suzanne
Collins's young adult novel trilogy. The
film handsomely delivers exciting entertainment with
captivating storytelling, fine performances by a terrific
ensemble cast, and a striking fashion showcase.

The film is set in a future nation called Panem in an era
of post civilization. Panem's glamorous Capital controls
12 enslaved districts. Each year, a teenager boy and a
teenager girl from each district are sent to the Capital
to compete in the Hunger Games in which only one survivor
as the winner by killing all others. With a twist in the
previous installment "The Hunger
Games," both fierce Katniss Everdeen
(Jennifer
Lawrence) and sensitive Peeta Mellark
(Josh
Hutcherson) from District 12 became the winners of the
74th Hunger Games.

After winning the game, Katniss returns back to District
12 and reunites with her childhood friend Gale Hawthorne
(Liam
Hemsworth) and her family. However, Katniss and Peeta
must go around the districts on a Victor's Tour, along
with their alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy
(Woody
Harrelson), flamboyant public relation handler Effie
Trinket (Elizabeth
Banks), and brilliant stylist Cinna
(Lenny
Kravitz).

Monitoring their tour closely, Snow (Donald
Sutherland), the powerful President of Panem, senses
the unrest from many Districts inspired by the action of
Katniss during the 74th Hunger Games. He certainly cannot
tolerate any rebellion tendency under his brutal rule.

To take action, President Snow hires a calculating
gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour
Hoffman) to mastermind the 75th Annual Hunger
Games—The Quarter Quell. In a grand and magnificent
style like an opening ceremony at an Olympic game, hosted
by a sensational host Caesar Flickerman
(Stanley
Tucci), Snow announces that "the tributes are to be
reaped from the existing pool of victors" from each
district.

Without a choice, Katniss and Peeta are back to the
barbaric game again. Physically and psychologically, they
must fight for survival against other tributes as well as
their real enemy—President Snow.

What an engaging, brutal, and thrilling game the film
displays!

Director Francis
Lawrence is brilliant for not treating the material
solely as another action sequel. In the first half of the
film, he takes time to develop a few compelling
characters. He allows the audience get to know these
tributes as human beings with distinct personalities. Then
in the second half of the film, they are mercilessly
herded into a killing ground for entertainment, like the
slaves at the Colosseum
in Rome.

The story grippingly unfolds as if the characters are
playing a chess game, only with their lives. They predict
what their opponents' next move might be and take actions
accordingly. Despite the brutality, the chess game is
terrifically played out while spectators are glued to
the chess board throughout the battle. Even the action
sequences are carefully crafted as part of the game
instead of just a showoff about the computer generated
imagery.

The film is also remarkably convincing despite its sci-fi
setting. It doesn't provide any special power to any of
these characters. That makes them sympathetic and
believable. The stunning game set seems possible to
make with today's technology (except the television sets
which might be secretly developed in some high-tech
company at this very moment).

With this excellent installment,
director Francis
Lawrence firmly establishes his standing among the
fans of the Hunger Games franchise, and the film's
noticeable achievements in many technical aspects will
surely be recognized in the upcoming award season. While
the final credit rolling on the IMAX screen, I realize
that I am looking forward to director Francis
Lawrence's next installment already. A game well
played indeed.